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Bristol Freighter at Nui Dat

Submitted by Brian R. EDMONDS on 14 April 2009 - 9:08pm.
Bristol Freighter at Nui Dat, circa 1968-1969

Bristol 170 Freighter of 41 Squadron, RNZAF at Nui Dat during one of its weekly supply flights from Singapore, circa 1968-1969. Bristol's were often refered to as 'forty thousand rivets flying in formation' due to their age, speed, and noise. The RNZAF used them for many years.

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Image courtesy Brian Edmonds

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How to cite this page: 'Bristol Freighter at Nui Dat ', URL: http://www.vietnamwar.govt.nz/photo/bristol-freighter-nui-dat, (Ministry for Culture and Heritage), updated 28-Apr-2011

Comments

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Andrew McGrath-Kerr commented:
Mon, 27 April 2009 - 04:20am
I remember one of these landing at Nui Dat in 1971. It was quite a surprise to see it land. Initially I heard the sound of the engines first. It was not a sound I was used to, but it was familiar to me. I was at the open air concert area at the Luscombe Bowl, situated under the flight path. The eastern end of the runway ended in a rubber plantation and that was cleared away from the threshold. I live in Launceston Tasmania. During my school days I lived under the flight path for flights from Launceston to Melbourne, about 15 km NW of Launceston Airport. Ansett-ANA and TAA had Bristol frieghters in service. Their engine sound was very different to the Pratt and Whitneys of the DC3, DC4 and DC6. I would see them flying to Melbourne in their slow ponderous way. When they were flying into Launceston over the top of where I lived, the pilot would select fine pitch and the motors increased their RPM. I became aware of Bristol Frighters again after seeing videos of them in NZ posted on YouTube.